Cleaner for furnaces, boilers, and the like



y 1933. R. M CARTHY CLEANER FOR FURNACES, BOILERS, AND THE LIKE Filed May 7, 1930 Patented July 11, 1933 RALPH iuc'canrnv, or stern, IL InoIs CLEANEIEL nearer-enemas, BoiLnn-s, AND ans LIKE Application filed May 7,1930, Serial Trio. 450

This invention relates to: cleaners for naces, boilers and the like, and more in ticnlar to a construction of cleaner and scraper therefor, and adapted forcleaning and scraping fines, radiatorsyand various pipes and passages of furnaces. In view of furthe numerous curves, angles-and relativelyinaccessible parts of a furnace, and especially is this true in the furnace radiator and smokepipe, it'has always been extremely difiicult and frequently impossible toclean the same.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide a cleaner adapted to thoroughly clean and scrape furnace fines. radiators, smoke pipes, boilers and other pipes or passages Where soot, dust, carbon, scale and other foreign particles and material may collect or adhere thereto. Due to the curvature of such Flues, radiators, and other passagemand since such passages are provided with a minimum number of openings or clean-outdoors for securino access thereto it has always been a M 7 ei ly dimcult matter, and generally I lo, to thoroughly clean the same, especially 1n beyond. the curved portions. The present invention comprehends the provision of cleaning IDGClEELIHSDT provided with a flexible shaft of any desired length, thatmay be inserted into a pipe, flue, radiator or other passage of any configuration and curvature, and be forced "therethrough by the operator.

Another object of. the invention is to provide a-means for scrapin and Withdrawing the accumulated soot, carbon, dust or other foreign material after the same has been dislodged by the cleaning mechanism. This scraping mechanism further provides means for anchoring-and centering the mechanism foirdislodging thev foreign particles. fihe invention further comprehends arm members for centeringthe cleaning and scraping 'mechanism Whenever the passage to be cleanedis of relatively great size'or diameter.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, etficiency, econ omy, and ease ofassembly, adjustment and detachment, one that maybe read' .v il'userted and easily Withdrawn from thescruo' ture to be cleaned, and such further ob ects,

advantages and capabilities as will latermore fully appear, and are inherently possessed thereby.

The inventlon further resides in the rombi pa-rnation, construction, and arrangements of parts illustrated in the accompanying dra\ving, and While I have shown therein a preferred embodiment. it be understood that thesamc is susceptible of modification and change, and comprehenc other details,.ar-

.rangements of =parts, features and constructions, Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Referringto the drawing: H

1 is a fragmentary View, part in side elevation, and part' in vertical cross section, taken through furnace pipe and showing the cleaning mechanism in operation;

Fig. 2-is a view "in verticalcross section I taken i11;a -plane represented by the l ne 22 of Fig. 1. I T V V. V

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical cross section through 'thedished plate and showing the meansof attaching the fienibleshaft and chains or Weighted members; to the plate.

Fig. at is a viewv similarj to Fig. 2, but dis-: closing cent ring arms. or projections at tached to the-edge of theyplate member. Referringnioreparticularly to the draw ing, thejembodiment selected to illustrate the invention is shown as compr sing aplate or central member- 1, to vvhich isattached a flexible shaft or spring rod 2 'by means of a bolt or the like 3 and nut 4a This iiemble shaft or spri-ng'rodlmay be of any desired-- length ,depending upon thel 'se to which the same isputiand, the length of the passage to be cleaned; This shaft is adapted-to be rotated by r eans of a handle or braee'o hav-' ing, a sleeve 6 adapted to'be grasped by the operator. This brace or crank member 5 When turned by the operatongives a rotary motion to the shaft 2 andplate or disc 1. The-platemember or disc is provided with a tapered flange to which is coi'inected a plurality ofchains or other weightedfmem bers 8 having at-t'heir end additional Weight members 9 These chains and. Weight mon bers are'adapted to be ii'npinged against theinner surface of'a pipe, radiator, fine or other passage in or connected toa furnace 1 2 and h'the I Fig. 1 disclosing in dotted outline, the posi- 1 tion. which the fleXible shaftQ and plate or disc member 1 will assume when it is propelled through a curved pipe. The disc or plate member and its attached chains or weighted members can be readily inserted through a clean-out door or other closure in the pipe, radiator or other passage which is desired to be cleaned. As the shaft and disc J or plate member are rotated, the chains and lower portion of the passage, and as the;

cleaner is being withdrawn, the disc or plate member, due to its dished or concaved construct on, will scrape and remove the col lected particles.

During the rotation of the flexible rod or shaft 2, the plate or disc is maintained in substantially a central position within the pipe or passage, but when rotation of-this flexible rod is stopped, the disc-or plate is dropped to the bottom or lower-[inner surface of the pipe or passage being cleaned, due to the resiliency of the shaft. Thesoot or other foreign materials which have been dislodged or removed by the impingement of the weighted members, are thenscraped V or taken out uponwithdrawing the dished plate of the cleaner from the pipe or of the structure being cleaned passage In Fig. l is disclosed a smoke'pip es10 con} nected to a pipe 11 leading from a furnace or the like, and which pipe 11 is provided with a check door 12. In this'figure, the cleaner. is shown as having been applied through a clean-out door (not shown), although it is to be understood that the same can be readily inserted through; the opening covered by the door 12into the pipe 11, and from" there projected through either the pipe 10 or throughthe pipe 11 leading t-o the furnace; I

WVhenever thepassage to be cleaned is of relatively great diameter or size, the disc or plate member 1 may be provided with arm members or projections 13 adapted to saline and center the disc 1 in the passage. Ordinarily such arm members'o'r projections are not necessary and may be dispensed with.

From the above description and the disclosure in the drawing, it will be readily seen that I have provided a cleaner which is simple in construction and highly eflicient in operation, and not only has the function i of dislodging the foreign particles, but! is adapted to remove the same as well. By reason of the'fiexible'shaft, the cleaner may be projected completely around the radiator of the furnace and thoroughly clean the same.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim: 7 I

1. A cleaner for furnaces, boilers and the like, comprising a dished plate member, a flexible shaft attached thereto andadapted to be extended to all parts of the structure regardless of bends or turns, weighted members swingably attached to said plate member, and means for giving said plate member and weighted'members a rotary movement whereby said weighted members will strike the inner walls of the structure being cleaned to dislodge the soot and other foreign particles, said plate member being dished toward the operator and adapted to contact the lower inner surface of the structure being cleaned to scrape and remove the accumulated soot and foreign particles when the cleaner is being withdrawn.

2. A cleaner forfurnaces, boilers and the like, comprising a dished plate member,

weighted members swingably attached to said-plate member, a flexible shaft connected to and extending perpendicular from said plate member and adapted to be extended to all parts of the structure regardless of bends or turns, and means for giving said shaft, plate member and weighted members a rotary movement whereby said weighted memberswill strike the inner walls of the structure being cleaned to dislodge the soot and other foreign particles, said plate 'member being dished toward the operator and adapted to contact the lower inner surface of the structure being cleaned to scrape and remove the" accumulated soot and foreign particles when the cleaner is being withdrawn.

cleaner for furnaces, boilers and the like, comprising a plate member, chains connected to the periphery of said member, a shaft connected centrally to said member, means for rotating said shaft and plate memher, and means on said plate member for guiding and centering the same as it is being rotated.

4. A cleaner for furnaces, boilers and the like, comprising a dished member, weighted members connected thereto, and means for rotating said dished member. and weighted members whereby said-members are'adapted to be projected against the sides of a passage to dislodge and remove accumulated foreign particles, said dished member being dished toward the operator and adapted to contact the lower inner surface'of the pas- ;sage fongathering and removing said accumulated particles as said cleaner is being withdrawn.-

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name to this specificationQ RALPH MCCARTHY; 

